THE COUNTRY

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 235, 14 March 1885, Page 10

THE COUNTRY

Contributions are invited from count- y districts, out no notice will he taken of communications wMch contain merely vague, or spiteful remarks, or are not attested by a genuine signature and address. Correspon dents should write only on one side of the paper, HIKTTRANGI. The coming ball is 1 to be the biggest thing on record. The survey camp were badly bitten in the match between cinbrum and supplejack, backing .the latter from half-a-crown to five pound. There is a suspicion that all wa3 not straight. J. says the chestnut will foot it with any horse in the district. WHAREORA. Miss McD. has returned, and Jim is over joyed. Mr M. has gone to Waipu, and all the fair damsels are waiting. Which of the two golden fish has Lund us disappointed — Louise or Minnie ? The surveyors are gone. Only one settler benefited by the expenditure of the £800 vote. Sam, mind the billy. Progi'amme for next concert, which is to take place on St. Patrick's Day — Mr S., ' Bonnie JVlaggie ;' Miss S., ' The troubles of a schoolmaster ;' Mr C, ' I love the lassies, O ;' Miss F., 'The vacant chair;' Mr M., 'Annie Laurie;' Miss D., ' Only ask pa.' Miss Jessie McE. has promised to preside at the piano. WHANG-AREI. Sharks and kumeras might be considered a delicacy at a wedding, but tatooed pakehas would hardly be admittable. Who was the young lady that did not know how she was going to adapt herself to the Wiiangarei gentleman's dancing after the honourables down in Wellington. The following lines were picked up lately Dear the New Mill Bakery — ' As the yeast rises, so my thoughts rise to thee, The mill and thy name ever coupled will be ; Of the whitest of flour shall thy bread be made still— O, Jessie, sweet Jessie, be the flower of the mill.' MARTON. Three nominations so far for the local Produce Stakes. ! Lounger says that he will make the pace pretty merry. It was bad form to leave you and the buggy i all alone. What did mamma say ? If those willow trees of Beard's could only speak, what tales they could tell. Joe T. and the Sparrow are about to build a nest. Wait, and get properly fledged, my dears. The long cattle-slayer spends a good deal of his master's time admiring the fruit in that shop. RAG-LAIN T . The Count was right in it with Jessie. There will be weeping and wailing when the Argyle sails. Alice thought to take the honour of belle at the ladies ball, but Miss D. caused all the rest to take a back seat. The General must have thought himself a very •important man doing the pilot business across +he mud flats. There was great commotion in the ball room the other night when that lady drop*ped her bustle. Who was the young man that picked it up and quietly put it under the seat ? PTJKEKOHE. Electricity finds Lang-shang farming does not pay, and has gone in for a Fishery) instead. Is it because she. is so good-looking that J — a looks at her face so often in the glass ? Did the little schoolmistress feel flattered when the masher kissed her at the late ball ? The Ladies Doll should have taken a little more gruel before he got up to sing the second time. The Pukekohe entertainment was fairly patronised. Dancing was kept up until 1.30 p.m., the entertainment being closed by the captain of the T.K. Band and the Dying Duck going through the Pokeno galop. WANG-ANUI. Is it a case with dear Alice and the sheriff ? Ask Kate how she enjoyed her trip to Wellington. What will Peter do now Annie has gone to Nelson. Our boss masher has joined Christ's Church choir. What an acquisition, to be sure. I wonder if it would be impossible for Jones to get outside a long sleever since he joined the Army ? Hastings has returned from hia sojourn in Auckland with all the latest attractions of a full fledged masher. Jim says he would not mind taking a trip to Nelson. He likes to see old friends, the artful old dodger. Why do those three joung ladies stand talking so loud at the church door ? Is it to let people know they are coming ? The new-chum telegraph operator is dead nuts ou Blanche, He had bettsr mind hia optics, Willie has his eye on him.

FLAT BUSH. " Willie still "visits the blue gums. Wanted, a housekeeper for S. Wages, half-a-crown a week, and find herself. KAMO. Jimmy has decided the railway porter is first favourite, H. having no show. F. says he would try the old store, but it might cost too much for sticking plaster. W, primus waited too long at the station, little Nell having escaped unnoticed. A concert will be given next week. The following are a few of the songs to be sung — ' Wait till McLeod goes by, Jenny,' M. ; 'A charming girl was Flora Jane/ A, ; ' I think the grocer's after me,' D. ; ' The village blacksmith,' S. The late dance at Ivamo was a great success — financially. The promoters cleared about 7s 6d a-piece. Any amount of provisions were provided, there being a tart each, with two over, half-a-dozen lemonade, and a corkskrew. Dancing was kept up with vigour till all the two shillings rolled in. Mr McGregor acted as M.O. in a very graceful manner. Miss B. was decidedly the belle of the ball, being dressed in dark velvet, trimmed with light-coloured plu3h. Miss W. was dressed in brown holland, trimmed with stylish green braid ; Miss E., blue pink body and red sleeves ; Miss M., century silk, with flowers; and last, but not least, Miss Me, biocaded velvet, trimmed with lace. ONEHUNGA. To whom was E. beckoning through the window last Friday night ? What a pity J. does not attend service more regularly ; he might get some shurch repairs. Wonderful transformation ! Adam has converted our (would-be) Taffey into a lady's man. How unkind of those young ladies to leave the choir-master of a certain Wesleyan church without any tea. No wonder he was sulky. The tea merchant was most attentive to his devotions last Sunday (after church). Of course it was religion fetched him out from Auckland. It requires a clergyman to discriminate between the relative merits of two carpenters. Had family ties any influence on the decision ? W. D. says if he only had a house on a certain hill, and £200 a year, he would be perfectly happy, as he could have coffee every day on £4 a week. Idyl, by an ONEnxrK&A Lady. 'Twas very wrong, I'm sure, of Pa, To go and take a wife, He should have known better, Now, at his time of life. ' To mind his house ' — that's no excuse, I that aye tried to do, For now I'm not a silly girl, But close on twenty-two. But, yet, I'll show him two can play At that ere little game, I'll try to find a nice young man, And go and do the same : A nice ' young ' man ! but never mind, I will not stay to choose, For young or old, or rich or poor, No offer I'll refuse. WAIPU. William broke down in the choir class last night. Bettor learn to read music, Will, before entering a choir. Osan is down on the temperance point, and is now going to offer his translating power to publicans and sinners. What monkey antics was "William performing in church on hearing the motions of the temperance party ? Castlekenuy is to have the virtuous cobbler as porter at that castle gate, and J. is to be in the kitchen to hook the pots. Use for your face ornamant, J. The Waipu Highway Boards have decided to despatch to the Soudan an armed host, officers as follows — Commander-in-chief, Cap. Fos ; commanding infantry, Lieut. McL, ; cavalry, Cornet Mills ; artillery, Sergeant B. : commanding foragers, Ensign A. ; chaplain, Chairman SH. Board ; surgeon, Ur McK. ; adjutant, D. M. A concert, in aid of the Cost-of-Waipu-Soudan Expedition-Defraying-Fund, will be given on April Ist. Programme : Miss McL., song, ' Over the waters to" Charley;' Lord Aberdeen, ' The Laird of Cockpen ;' Miss 0., ' I lost my love and I care not;' Miss G., 'When 1 look back to bonnie Aberdeen;' Mr C, 'The garb of old Gaul ;' Miss A. McL., ' When shall my lover return?'; Miss H. 'I sigh for the little golden hair ;' Mr S., 'My Maggie sitting by my side ;' i Miss McM., ' Barney O'Jfare ;' Miss M. McM., ' Saver-kraut ;' Miss McX, ' Q-ood-bye, Charley ;' Miss S. McL., ' John Hyde ;' Miss M. McL., 1 Potherymurchie ;' Mr D., ' Let's bridge the breach, Ann.' Poor M. is full of trouble. He avers the ObSebveb is retrogressing. Local pars are false I and unfair, and under-leaders are tame since the literary collapse of himself and Rathbone. The capacity to criticise editorials is more than we expected to find even in a ' master ' shoemaker. Go ahead, M., St Crispin was a cobbler, and there is nothing to prevent modern members of the honourable profession of peg-driving from climbing the slippery steps of fame. Invest your ' awl ' in a literary effort, ' heel ' our wounds, and raise us again to the ' upper.' sphere, then all our degradation will be toe-tally forgotten. Could you not write a Commentary on Kevelation, discuss the evolution theory ab initio, or reproduce the Lost Books of Euslid ? WAIHO. The hitherto quiet district of Waiho presented quite a lively appearance on the 25th February, the occasion being the solemnization of matrimony between Mr James Bramley, of Kaeo, and Miss Ada Dangen, of Waiho, daughter of our much-respected settler, Mr H. Dangen. Having no church in the place, the native school-house had been kiadly placed at the disposal of the wedding party, and by eleven o'clock it was filled \ by an audience of friends a*d well-wishers of the

happy pair. After a few minutes of expectancy,, all eyes were directed towards the door as the bride, leaning on the arm of her father, came slowly up the aisle accompanied by herbridesmaids. The bride, a most captivating" little lady, wore a very handsome wedding robe of figured sateen, with wreathes of orange blossoms. Mr R. Bramley acted as best man, and the bridesmaids were Miss Bella Dangen and Miss Tilly. Dangen, sisters of the bride, After the ceremony; as the wedding party left the building,, they were accompanied by a shower of rice and' old shoes, amid the hearty congratulations of all assembled. The wedding breakfast was laid out at Mr Dangen's residence, where a large party of friends were gathered, and after doing justice to the good things provided, the health of thebride and bridegroom was proposed in feeling terms by Mr Bramley, father of the newly-made benedict, and drunk in bumpers . by" theirnumerous well-wishers. The Eev. Mr Hammond,, who performed the ceremony, then gave a speech, in his usual happy style, eulogising the bride, and commending her to the 1 respect and admiration, of the people of the district in which she would in futiu*e reside. Mr Paxton then proposed in a. most laughable and jocular manner the health of the bridesmaids, which was responded to by Mr E. Bramley on behalf of the bridesmaids. In,, the evening a dance was held in the school house where, under the able management of the M.C., Mr Hawthorn, a most enjoyable evening wasspent, interrupted with songs and speeches.. Excellent music was provided by Mes9r3 Phillips and Paxton on the piano, and the violin music was supplied by Messrs Cleaver and Franklyn. A refreshment room was laid out in Mr Phillips',, whither the dancers adjourned at intervals.. Where so much beauty was congregated together, it would be difficult to bestow the honour of belle, but I think the palm must be bornebetween Miss Martin, Mis 3 Usher, and Miss Bella Dangen. The latter'a dancing was greatly admired, and her pleasant manner win 3 her hosts of friends, and endears her to all who know her..

MOHAKA (H. 8.). The local Vulcan has left. What a calamity. Ten pounds reward for the person that sent the valentines. Miss M. has returned to Waicori. Willie is so pleased.

It is about time Burly Bob was going round with the pack hor3e. The Blue Velvet has departed for Napier. How we all shall miss her.

The lower pvb is quite deserted since Gr. left. How will M. manage now ?

When is little Yen going to have the piano tuned ? Cannot Bob manage it ?

What does the little B. think of his good management now ? How many sheep is Heshort ?

1 ittle Yen and Bob looked a very nice coupleriding up to the run last Sunday. It ought tocome off soon.

Eumour says that the Knight or the Garter is in Napier getting a license, but the Tart is nob the chosen one.

Tom vows vengeance against Doctor F. for taking Mary to Wairoa. What a big show he has got.

Poor Bill has gone to work on the roads. Jam must have new strings on her fancy aprons to hold him.

Those two young men who laughed in churcli on Sunday ought to be turned out. How Mr P. looked afc them.

It would suit Chris better to mind his own affairs, and not go gossiping about other people's up the village of an evening.

Old S. on the hill has made a big spec, havingbought the Maungaharuru run for the small sum of seven thousand seven hundred.

Why didn't Four Eyes give Brother Ted and Big Bill the job of driving at ten shillings a day, instead of Bob getting a pound. Bather rough on professional muster.

The football match caused great excitement here the other day. The ground was crowded with spectators — Mohaka against Petane. Mohaka won by three tries to nothing. All the beauty and fashion of the land were there.